Breakfast Tips to Get Your Day Going

Lisa met her goal of losing 100 pounds by her 40th birthday, but the struggle continues. Click through to read about losing the first 100 pounds or click on the links below to read about the new challenges.More >>

Lisa met her goal of losing 100 pounds by her 40th birthday, but the struggle continues. Click through to read about losing the first 100 pounds or click on the links below to read about the new challenges.More >>

I tried writing in this space about a month ago and got three paragraphs into it before I gave up. I just feel like I'm saying the same things over and over and not making any real changes that stick. But all I can do is try again and keep trying until I get out of this rut.More >>

10/20/10

I've reset my "Get Back on Track!" month to start today. In wanting to synch up with a calendar month, I probably didn't think things through as well as I should have in planning to be very strict with my diet when I had a bunch of special occasions coming up.More >>

I was a little disappointed to gain a half of a pound this week, but, I'm trying to keep it in perspective. I've been tracking my weight loss for 21 weeks now and have stayed even once and gained three times... not too bad! Plus, I know periodic gains and plateaus are bound to be part of this journey - I just have to take them in stride!

Whenever I feel like I need to get back on track or "start over" to some extent, I begin by looking at my breakfast choices. I figure starting right is going to help me have a healthier day overall.

When I first started my weight loss, I was eating a bagel every day. My trainer urged me to cut that out, so I switched to a daily egg sandwich on an English muffin. After my trip to San Francisco, I was convinced that my morning bran cereal was one of the things that helped me stay the course and lose weight in light of my other indulgences... so now my breakfast tends to be Bran Buds cereal sweetened up by mixing it with Golden Grahams. I sometimes switch it up with some of the following:

Scrambled egg beaters (I like the Cheese and Chive variety). This always feels a little bit more decadent and filling than some other choices. Sometimes I'll have a Morningstar veggie sausage patty with it.

A toasted English muffin with organic peanut butter. Once I got past the having-to-mix-the-oil-and-peanut-butter aspect of this one, I really started to actually prefer the simple ground up peanuts to the more processed versions with more sugar and other polysyllabic ingredients.

Every once in awhile I get really weird and actually stop at the corner deli and get some roasted turkey with steamed vegetables. I know it's a strange breakfast choice, but, I'm testing out the idea of eating your biggest meal for breakfast, rather than dinner. I haven't done it for a long enough time to "judge" it, though!

I'm a little tired of just "hearing" ME talk in these articles every week, so I've decided to introduce a couple of my friends into the mix. They have had amazing weight loss successes themselves and also serve as daily inspirations for me. I'll be coming back to them and asking for their input on a bunch of topics - and also writing up profiles on them so you can learn more about how they've accomplished theirgoals.

Today... it's all about breakfast.

Laura Jones, 32Total Weight Loss: 150 lbs

"It took me four years to lose 125 pounds, which I maintained for about four years," she says. "Then it took me about five months to lose the last 25. I hit my goal in August of 2007."

Laura originally cut out hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup and caffeine. After the first 100 pounds, she started counting calories and using the Weight Watchers Points System to lose the last 50 pounds.

Laura's breakfast choices:

When I was first losing weight, my favorite breakfast was a large slice of organic white cheddar cheese. It has enough fat/protein to get you through the morning, but doesn't pack on the calories.

I also like (but rarely have time for) a scrambled egg on a whole wheat English muffin. The incredible edible egg, to be sure! Protein, fat, and general goodness.

When pressed for time I'm more likely to have a warm drink with milk or half-and-half, like decaf coffee or chai tea. Again, the dairy provides protein, but much easier to take on-the-go.

Danny Polinsky, 30Total Weight Loss: 135 lbs

Danny has lost 95 pounds since June 2007 and 135 since his highest weight in December 2003. "Just five more to go!" he says.

Danny uses Weight Watchers online and focuses on running as his main form of exercise. "In part I did it because it gave me the maximum return on exercise based on the time I put into it," he explains. "Also because the treadmill gave me detailed calorie, distance and time information."

Danny's breakfast choices:

My usual breakfast is a package of Nature Valley granola bars (they come in a variety of flavors: Oats 'n Honey, Vanilla Nut, Cinnamon, Peanut Butter and Maple so it does a good job of keeping things from getting too routine and monotonous). They have 180 calories.

My other low-calorie breakfast choice is three egg whites on two pieces of toasted whole wheat bread with mustard, ketchup, salt and pepper. This is approximately 150 calories. It's a good way to spice things up (literally) and to save some money!

On days when I know I'm going to the gym and don't have big plans for the evening, I will get an everything bagel with 2 oz of low-fat cream cheese, onions and tomatoes. This is, of course, a lot higher in calories (around 400 - 450). It's a splurge and I only do it when I know I'm going to have a small lunch/dinner and that I'm going to the gym that day. A lot of times it's a nice reward after working out on a Saturday morning and it keeps me from feeling as though I'm depriving myself because it's one of my favorite breakfasts.

Do you have some great breakfast suggestions that get your metabolism working and keep you satisfied? Share them by emailing me at resultsnottypical@worldnow.com and I'll post some here.

Of course, my mom was the first person to write in with some suggestions for breakfast!

If you like a bagel, scoop a lot of the middle out and enjoy the crusty outside. It may be an acquired taste but I really like crunchy organic peanut butter on pumpernickel, a bagel or multigrain toast.

I'm a devotee of oatmeal cooked the long way and mixed with fresh strawberries or craisins or blueberries.

When I go to the gym in the morning I eat a half of a banana first or nothing, then I have a good breakfast when I get home. If it's as late as 11:00 when I finish at the gym, I sometimes eat something more substantial like a light dinner and then eat breakfast foods at dinner time.

I also got a great email from Karla, in Ontario, Canada, who's lost 111 pounds! She uses a basic counting calories approach and has the following breakfast suggestion:

My daily breakfast includes an apple, two teaspoons of soy nuts, 10 almonds, five half walnuts, 5 whole grain crackers and 10 red grapes. This combo has antioxidants, cancer fighters and the all important fiber.

I sometimes add some fat free yogurt or a bowl of 15 frosted mini wheats cereal with 2% milk.

This has about 300 calories.

*DISCLAIMER*: THE INFORMATION CONTAINED ON OR PROVIDED THROUGH THIS SITE IS INTENDED FOR GENERAL CONSUMER UNDERSTANDING AND EDUCATION ONLY AND IS NOT INTENDED TO BE AND IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF YOUR PHYSICIAN OR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER BEFORE COMMENCING A DIET OR EXERCISE PROGRAM. USE OF THIS SITE AND ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED ON OR PROVIDED THROUGH THIS SITE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK AND IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" BASIS WITHOUT ANY REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES.